I always had that question. What do they do in the off season?

they are not allowed to train on the field do they? they just go to school and work out?

There is actually a mini spring season and they train within the regulations of the NCAA.

In fact Furman is hosting a mini Tournament this coming Saturday with Mercer and Presbyterian.

how does that work? im talking on a regular basis. they have about 4 months, are they allowed to use the soccer field? do they train properly? do they have the coach with them or they just get together and play pick up games?

Alma:
In the SEC, they started training around January 10th. My daughters team trains from 7:30 a.m. to around 10:30 sometimes later, 5 days a week. They also have an optional session each day, you know what optional means, be there. The average practice has three coaches and 2-3 trainers. In addition they have weights and team meetings. Soccer in college is like american football, the players train year round.

thank you, your information is very helpfull.

Sounds like some NCAA rules are being severely tested. I guess that training schedule will be ending this week or next since only 5 weeks of 20 hours is allowed and they started January 10. Heck, that training schedule is 15 hours alone not counting the "weights and meetings" and whatever else. That's interesting because I'm sure most SEC programs aren't ending their 20-hour segment in February with most or all of games in March and April. Mmmmmm.

Sweet Feet, you might want to keep that off-season schedule off the air (just a thought). From NCAA.org about training...

Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Frequently Asked Questions
Playing and Practice Limitations (NCAA Bylaw 17)

It is not uncommon for student-athletes, dripping with sweat and muscles aching, to think to themselves during practice: “How long can coach keep us out here?” Well, hopefully, the information provided below can serve as a resource to student-athletes who simply want to know how much and how long they can practice and/or compete on a given day, week, or season.

Q: What activities are considered practice?

The term used to describe NCAA playing and practice limitations is “countable athletically related activities”. Countable athletically related activities include, but are not limited to, practice (everything from chalk-talk to on-field activities), competition, required training activities (running, lifting weights, etc.), or any use of your school’s athletics facilities at the direction of or under the supervision of a coach. Activities that are not considered practice include, but are not limited to, study hall, academic meetings, training room activities, and meetings with coaches that are of a non-athletic nature.

Q: How many hours can a student-athlete be required to practice/compete?

In Divisions I and II, student-athletes are limited to practicing no more than four (4) hours per day and no more than 20 hours per week during the playing season. However, there are exceptions to these limitations for multi-sport and golf student-athletes.

Outside of the playing season, student-athletes are limited to no more than eight (8) hours per week of certain countable athletically related activities. Those activities may only be required conditioning, physical-fitness classes, and individual skill-related instruction. Further, only two (2) of the eight hours may be spent in individual skill instruction with a coach. Please note, student-athletes may not be required to participate in any countable athletically related activities during any of their school’s vacation periods (e.g., summer) that occur outside of the playing and practice season.

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/portal/ncaahome?...aac/di+saac+faq

Delta,
What I posted was a general overview of a week my daughter has experienced, sure there are lots of nuances during the week each day is dictated by NCAA rules. And yes, I'am sure all teams push things to the limit.

college sports are so much work, if a kid is academically gifted, that route is so much easier... hope mine go that way

SF you were just posting it as you saw it.

Another thought. Rules, who needs rules just send cute girls to High Schools, to get your football players, ask the guy at Tenn, well USC...

Classy programs are the same year in and year out, graduate their kids and produce... NC Basketball, is tearing my heart out this year, we will be back.

I was really impressed with USC (the one with the chicken), their Ladies Soccer coach seems to be a class act. Got to hear her speak to some club kids last year, and they hosted some High School kids as well (at a Clemson game, at Clemson, they were not happy, USC very nice to talk with the girls)... very classy, and producing.

in college you have so many weeks to practice with a ball; you can condition all year long but once the ball is touched your spring season starts and you have so many weeks to play not so many hours...you may a certain number of hours per day and per week but you have a total number of weeks, and you get 6 dates-you can play as many games in one day you want but you can only have 6 dates; that is why you see lots of mini-tourneys...pretty in the off-season for soccer it is alot of conditioning, individual work, and weights..plus school b/c they can't use a ball and coach every day.

Hey, many of us were thrilled our UTK football coach left, and then very angry when he got to LA and complained about the SEC not knowing how to play football. We don't think he could beat enough teams in the SEC to build his reputation, so he left, although there are plenty of cute girls at UTK. That said however, the UTK Lady Vol soccer program is a class act. I hear every negative and every positive thing almost every day and from an older, maybe wiser, perspective, I surmise a team and a program that is a class act despite the ocassional player-daughter complaint. Our coach is an old Anson Dorrance player and close personal friends with Mia Hamm, Trish Venturi, and Christine Lilly, (yes name dropping for any potential recruits) and their ocassional visits and presence, plus the coach's UNC experienced skills help add to a tough but classy program. They adhere to the 20 hours a week during season and 8 hours a week out of season but have very tough study time rules. What is really fun is the bond, and fun, the players have with the other female atheletes, Lady Vol basketball players, rowers, divers, volleyball players, golfers, all good friends. All I have met have been polite, fun, and "classy" and I enjoy their company. Hopefully the football will be classy this year as well.

i have a few more question.

im trying to download the ncaa rules but my pc is kind of slow, maybe any college coach out there may be able to help.

one of my friends told me that even if you contact an agent you will get penalized by the ncaa and you wont be able to play, how true is that? ncaa is soccer is kind of complicated...

another question that i have, do you need a masters to coach college soccer or just a bachelors? whats the process to become a college coach? do you have to teach once you are a college coach or your job is only to be the manager of the team and thats it?

thanks any information would be appreciated.

I certainly am not an expert in NCAA Women's soccer rules but am pretty sure the agent contact clause is in there, and certainly is as part of the amateur disclosure questionnaire. I think if you have contact you have to disclose and then maybe answer questions for a status review. I read the rules when my daughter had to sign all of the paperwork, and we had to sign all of the disclosure paperwork. I actually learned a lot.

Of the college coaches I know, most all have bachelor degrees. I think I have only known one or two with Master's degrees. They also only coach and do not teach, but many went through the student assistant coach to assistant coach to assistant head coach to head coach career route.

Regarding agents-you can't have them or talk to them just like football; there are ways to play for your national team and so forth..i think if i remember you technically can not play for a team ie. club if you are still in college playing with your collegiate team...i know some of the younger players will play for regionals with u-19's..

regarding coaching-every school is different in requirements; most want a person who has coached at the college level or have coaching experience; nowadays most want someone with a master's so they can teach-typically pe class..alot go through the graduate assistant program or be a student assistant...others it is through connections and knowing coaches;
the smaller schools and lower divisions may not pay a high salary to just coach at the college-so coaching club or being a director of a club adds onto the salary...all depends on the school and what they want the coach to have..also, some want them to have coaching licenses too

how many d2 soccer colleges are in south carolina? im wondering if is too late to try to get an scholarship, when do they usually close the signing for the fall?

i know of usc aiken, francis marion, lander.

pm me if you have any more details on it. im trying to play some this fall.

by the way, somebody told me they wont let you play college soccer d1 anymore if you are over 23 years old, is that true? why is that?

do they do that for ncaa football as well?

Alma,
Also, some college players play on PDL teams. PDL is a league in the USL umbrella of leagues, (the Battery plays in USL2 league). PDL allows college players to play in the summer and still maintain their NCAA college eligibility. In fact, Brigham Young University in Utah (the BYU Cougars) don't play in an NCAA league at all, they only play in PDL. USL also has a women's league....the W League....but I'm not familiar with it, not sure if its amateur or pro.

http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/